Sport

Cricket: Booth hands Swanage captaincy to King

SWANAGE stalwart Ian Booth has handed Ricky King a glowing reference after deciding to pass on the first-team captaincy to his trusted lieutenant.

Booth, who had skippered Swans since 2004, will continue to play for their Dorset League Premier side and will focus his attentions on coaching and management.

King formally took the reins for the first time when he led the club to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Ferndown Wayfarers at Day’s Park on Saturday.

Booth, who appointed King as his vice-captain, said: “Ricky is a very impressive young man with a remarkably wise head on young shoulders and has always been a natural leader of his peers.

“He has led the side on six occasions in my absence and is yet to lose as first-team skipper. We have been working on a transition over the past season-and-a-half and Ricky is the next most senior player in the squad.

“We are a young side with the majority of the players all under 23. It is time that a fresh face, leading a young and fearless team with a novel and exciting approach and philosophy, takes over as we look towards the medium and long-term future.

“I will maintain my position in the side as a senior batsman and spin bowler, but hope to focus more on the coaching and management of the squad and allow Ricky to captain unencumbered for the next generation of young players coming through.”

Booth (3-21) and in-form Rob Hatchard (3-24) were both among the wickets as Swanage restricted Ferndown Wayfarers to 154 for nine, their total owing much to a diligent unbroken stand of 36 between Robbie Stammas (15) and Karl Jensen (24), which added to a useful contribution from Alex Sansom (41).

In reply, Booth and Matt Thomas (46) put on 74 for the second wicket before Ben Baczala (43) joined Booth (55) with the score on 82 for three, the pair seeing Swans home without further loss with almost 20 overs to spare.

Second-placed Broadstone kept the heat on leaders Parley by coasting to a 90-run victory over Wimborne & Colehill at the Leaze.

Ben Manley (28) and Roy Triniman put on 47 for the second wicket before Daniel Cook and Triniman (64) shared 73 for the fourth as Broadstone made hay in the sunshine.

Cook (70) was then involved in a stand of 65 for the sixth wicket with James Rimmer (37) as Broadstone closed on a formidable 270 for eight (James Williams 2-58, Tom Caines 2-46, Ben Ratcliffe 2-38).

Although Nick Heckford (2-53) and Armstrong (2-13) were among the wickets, Stuart Sweatman (85) laid the foundations before ninth-wicket pair Simon Sweatman and Robbie Knight held their nerve to see home Stalbridge at 227 for eight.